The Lost Town: The Dust

Under the right circumstances, protecting a remote encampment for seven days and seven nights from the unwelcome advances of monsters could be a bit of fun rather than grim, unrewarding grind.

Problems inevitably arise when it turns out that the Chilia, the game's wide-eyed heroine, couldn't fight her way out of a paper bag. But that's OK, it's a top-down action RPG. She'll level up, show these shambling beasties who's boss and rescue all the quivering inhabitants from being beaten to a pulp. Hurrah!

Except becoming the buffed-up badass is actually an unapologetic war of attrition, saddled with tiresome one-button combat that provides little incentive to invest the hours required to buy upgrades and recruits.

Apart from that, Circle Entertainment unbalances the grind too early, and the addition of frustrating struggle to general repetition quickly snuffs out any residual interest.

Determined types fond of incessant repetition might eke some mild enjoyment from The Lost Town, but the rest of us can move swiftly along and leave the town to its inevitable fate.